Scholarships increase almost $1 million to $7,566,000

Summer is typically a wonderful time of the year for family fun, vacations, and relaxation. I hope everyone is taking a chance to enjoy the beautiful weather and re-energize because the beginning of a new school year is truly just around the corner.

Faculty members and staff throughout Autauga County are already gearing up for another fantastic and successful year!

The first day back for students will be Aug. 18; however, orientations and similar events will take place before the beginning of school at various locations. We will post updates on the Autauga County Schools' Facebook page and the ACBOE website throughout the summer.

Make sure you "LIKE" us on Facebook and updates will post to your news feed! We encourage you to also sign up for "Notify Me" on the district website. These tools will help keep you abreast of important district announcements!

Teachers will report for our annual Institute Day on Aug. 4. This is the official kick-off to the new school year for our employees. Two weeks of exciting and informative professional development is planned for our teachers and staff. Last year, the two weeks of professional development set the stage high for a very successful school year, and I anticipate the same thing for this year.

The schools in our system really excelled in 2013-2014. It was always a difficult, but fulfilling, task to choose what items to feature in the newsletter each month! Before we focus on the upcoming year, I would like to take the opportunity to share some of the last proud moments of the previous school year.

Last month was a very exciting time for students and parents. We had four graduation ceremonies:

• Autaugaville High School graduated 20 students and received $450,000 in scholarships. The class valedictorian was Jasmine Monae Frazier and salutatorian was Verlonda Shana Hopson.

• Billingsley High School graduated 31 students and received $616,500 in scholarships. The class valedictorians were Madison Leigh Price, Branwin Randall DuBose, Jade Alexandra Glass, and Payton Louise Wallace. The class salutatorian was Denesha Shermae Drake.

• Marbury High School graduated 131 students and received $1,500,000 in scholarships. Class valedictorians were Brook Marie Landry and Blair Alexander Landry.

• Prattville High School graduated 434 students and received $5,000,000 in scholarships. The class valedictorian was John Paul Mitchell and salutatorian was Kenneth Wayne Levens.

The total amount received in scholarships for students graduating from the Autauga County School System in 2014 was over $7,566,000! This was an increase from last year of almost one million dollars! Fantastic is the word that describes this best! A great accomplishment for the students and a momentous occasion for parents!

I would also like to recognize an outstanding student from Prattville Intermediate School. Congratulations to Katherine Steele for designing the winning patch for the Cubes in Space Mission, part of NASA's Cubes in Space Program. Katherine participated in the secondary part of the competition which was to design the patch for this year's mission. Katherine's winning patch design will be converted into an actual patch that will be launched into space on June 26th. Great job, Katherine! Autauga County students really are aiming for the stars!

Our students deserve the best education possible, and our faculty members are striving to provide just that. Dr. Victoria Whitfield will attend TeachFest in New Orleans this summer. She is one of a group of 200 talented math and English Language Arts (ELA) teachers selected from a competitive international pool of 4,000 applicants chosen to attend training to create resources that will assist teachers and students across the country. Congratulations on being selected for this exciting endeavor!

I also have the distinct pleasure of announcing a wonderful opportunity for the World War II, Korean War, and Vietnam War veterans in Autauga County! Those veterans who did not previously obtain a high school diploma may now apply to receive one from the Autauga County School System. Applying veterans should have an "Honorable" discharge from the military, have entered the service from the state of Alabama, and currently be a resident of Autauga County. Applications can be obtained from the Board of Education Central Office located at 153 West Fourth Street and must be submitted by Sept. 1, 2014, along with their DD 214.

Being a part of such an outstanding school system is an honor. I look forward to reporting the many achievements of our students and staff members each month! I hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable July!